


Your Smile

by CatHeights



Category: Smallville
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2004-07-21
Updated: 2004-07-21
Packaged: 2017-10-05 15:32:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/43207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatHeights/pseuds/CatHeights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A visit from Chloe lingers in Lex's mind. Season 3 AU, vignette that occurs months after the events in <i>Covenant</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Your Smile

Lex frowned as he clicked send. That noise was getting really annoying. What the heck was making it? He opened the next email and then paused, his fingers still perched on the keyboard. The sudden silence brought realization, and he chuckled. The sound was his fault. Amazingly enough, he had been humming.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Lex pushed his chair back and got up from the desk. This was all Chloe's fault. She'd been singing that insipid song all weekend, and now he couldn't get it out of his head. His glance fell on the player that was open on his laptop screen. Well, maybe it wasn't all her fault. He'd set the damn song on repeat, hadn't he? Lex vaguely remembered purchasing the mp3 several hours ago, one of those actions that he'd chosen not to question, but simply to do and then forget.

The song had been playing for hours. No wonder it was stuck in his head. Lex made no move to turn it off. Instead, he tapped his fingers against his pants and resisted the urge to hum.

_Look for the girl with the broken smile; ask her if she wants to stay awhile._

Except he didn't want to see her broken smile, he wanted to see the wide one that made her eyes light up. The one she'd been wearing on his balcony this weekend. The smile that had somehow managed to survive despite all the pain the Luthors had caused her.

Lex stepped out onto the balcony. The wind was bitter, but he didn't bother to go back inside for a coat. They hadn't bothered with them over the weekend, so why should he now? The cold was already making his ears tingle, but Lex ignored it and closed his eyes. He could still picture her here, grinning at the falling snow and singing slightly off key.

_I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the pouring rain._

He smirked at her and said, "It's snowing, not raining."

She wrinkled her nose at him before modifying the line slightly.

_I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the falling snow._

"So let me get this straight. This gentleman intends to stand on her corner, every day, even in the snow, perhaps gazing up at her window. I believe the term for such an activity is stalking. She should see a judge about a restraining order."

Chloe laughed. "You might want to try actually listening to the song."

Then she did something that surprised him and made him laugh harder than he had in a long time – she stuck her tongue out at him. Instead of closing her mouth right away, Chloe turned to face the city and closed her eyes, letting the snowflakes fall on her tongue. Lex wanted to pull her to him and taste the melting snow. The desire was strong, but he was practiced in the art of self-denial.

So he had stood there taking it all in – her beauty, the snow, and the pure joy on her face. He had already been hoarding the memory even while he'd still been experiencing the moment.

While Lex didn't miss Smallville, he never stopped missing Chloe. She had seemed so right here in Metropolis with him, as if she had belonged. No, he couldn't think that. Chloe didn't belong in Metropolis. She belonged somewhere far from Smallville, away from Clark, and away from him. She needed to leave so that she could put everything behind her and start anew.

He could imagine Chloe shaking her head. Past conversations came to mind with her voice trying to make him accept the truth. Some wounds you couldn't escape.

_Running won't help, Lex. I have to live with what happened. You have to live with what happened._

Lex opened his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. She was eighteen. What did she know? Most likely, a hell of a lot more than he had at eighteen. She had experienced more than many adults did in a lifetime, and she had survived. Yes, there was a chance she did know what she was talking about, but he couldn't accept that possibility.

He left the balcony, closing the doors behind him. Somehow it seemed colder inside than it had outside. Despite the song on constant replay, the apartment appeared sadly silent, desolate. Lex shook his head, trying to dislodge the melancholy thoughts, and went to get himself a bottle of water.

As he took a sip, he recalled the kiss Chloe had given him as they had said goodbye. She had surprised him by quickly darting in and pressing her lips against his. The kiss had been both tentative and bold. She had used the barest hint of pressure, but had still managed to tease him with her lips and coax a response.

He rolled the bottle against his lip, tasting her in memory. Lex knew he shouldn't have responded, but he didn't have that kind of strength. His fingers had tingled with the desire to cup her face and run his hands through hair that was once again blonde. It was only in the act of lifting his arm to fulfill his desire that he had come to his senses and pulled out of her embrace.

She had glared at him defiantly, all of her emotions showing clearly on her face. The jut of her chin had spoken of her intention to argue, while the hurt in her eyes had shown the depth of what she believed she felt for him. Part of him wanted to take advantage of that mistaken belief and lure her into staying, to keep her with him, but he refused to give in to that part of his nature. He wouldn't do that to Chloe.

"Why are you fighting this?" The crack in her voice made his heart ache.

"Chloe…."

But she didn't let him finish. "Lex. You want this. I know you do. Tell me you're not interested."

She met his gaze daring him to contradict her. Her bravery awed him. He knew what it cost her to be this open, to take this chance.

Lex knew he should tell her he wasn't interested, be cruel to be kind, and force her to move on, but the lies refused to come to his lips. Fate liked to laugh at him. He'd become such an expert liar, but the one time when he really needed to lie, the ability failed him.

How could he respond to the mixture of fear and bravery etched on her face with cruelty? If he denied his feelings, he'd be implying that she was deluded, that her instincts were wrong and she had misread things. The lies would sound like pity, and he couldn't do that to her.

So he avoided the question and looked away. "In a little over six months, you're going to graduate. After that, the world's open to you. Who knows where you'll be in a year."

"I'll be at Met U. I wouldn't exactly consider that worlds apart."

"You don't need to decide that now. You shouldn't be closing off any options."

He heard the indignation in the sniff she made. "It's my decision, and I've already made it." She was silent for a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was soft. "Lex, it's all right, if you're not ready yet, if you need more time. I'll wait. Some things are worth being patient for."

Lex had stared at her, shocked by the conclusion she had drawn, but before he had been able to form a reply, Chloe had already changed the subject.

"I'm glad I came." She had given him a bright smile. "Oh, and I'll be back at Christmas, so clear your schedule." With a laugh and little wave, she had stepped into the elevator and left.

That was three days ago, and he still couldn't stop replaying every moment of her surprise visit. It had been the strangest and best Thanksgiving he'd ever had. Instead of turkey with endless fixings, they'd had pizza and snow. He couldn't think of a better way to pass the holiday.

God help him, he was already marking the days until Christmas.

Lex shook his head, annoyed at his reminiscing. He had work to do. Thinking of things that could not be was asking for trouble, not to mention a waste of time. He gulped down the rest of the water, and then returned to his laptop.

It took him a few minutes to regain his focus, but in a short time, his email box had once again captured the majority of his attention. He didn't notice when he resumed humming, nor did he notice when he started to softly sing, "_And she will be loved_."

The song continued, but Lex repeated that line several times. Eventually he stopped, the last word fading off into a barely audible sound.

Outside, it started to snow.

**Author's Note:**

> The occasional lyric mentioned in the story is from _She Will be Loved_ by Maroon 5.


End file.
